D’Angelico EXL-1
D’Angelico is another name from the pre-
war “big band” era, but this company’s
archtop guitars weren’t mass-produced in
a factory. Master luthier John D’Angelico
was perhaps the greatest archtop
guitar builder of all time, making
less than 1200 instruments in
his lifetime, all built by hand in
his shop in Manhattan’s Little
Italy. Needless to say, these
were very special and very
expensive
guitars
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TONE TALK //
not intended for the average strummer.
Today however, D’Angelico Guitars is
a large-scale modern manufacturer,
turning out gorgeously built and relatively
affordable recreations of the master’s
designs, including the Excel Series EXL-
1. This luxurious axe features a deliciously
resonant 17-inch wide, three-inch deep
spruce and flame maple body, a two-
piece maple-and-walnut neck, rosewood
fretboard, breathtaking art deco hardware
flourishes, and absolutely flawless
workmanship. A floating mini-hum in the
neck position completes the vintage look
and electrified tone. The EXL-1 sells new for
an extraordinarily reasonable 1399.
6 Archtops for the Working Class Jazzer